Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

Paranoia, passivity, and keeping reality at bay

Paranoia, passivity, and keeping reality at bay, INFIDEL753 Blog, Infidel753 This post is about psychology, not politics.  It may not look that way at first, but bear with me.] Many on the left feel a persistent anxiety about the danger of large-scale right-wing political violence.  Much of the right-wing population is heavily armed (though lately many […]

John Maynard Keynes Doesn’t Seem to Know What He Means by the Word “Spending”

Is investment spending “spending,” or isn’t it? Steve Roth (@ Wealth Economics) J.M. Keynes’ brief Preface to the French edition of General Theory is sometimes held up as the most concise, cogent, and coherent expression of his economic understandings. It achieves that, but in doing so it also reveals a core incoherence in that thinking. An obligatory nod here […]

Initial jobless claims remain positive

Initial claims remain positive  – by New Deal democrat Initial jobless claims declined this week -8,000 to 212,000. The four week average rose 5,750 to 218,250. With the typical one-week lag, continuing claims rose 30,000 to 1.865 million: On the more important (for forecasting purposes) YoY basis, initial claims are down -1.9%. The four week […]

Social Security has Nothing to Do with Debt or Deficits

Dale Coberly lead-in to his discussion on Social Security is something which has been debated back and forth by politicians, those who wish to cut it, those who seek to end it, and those who have done all of the above such as Andrew Biggs. Social Security for the today’s elderly and those who will […]

Dems Slam Social Security Board Nominee Over History of Supporting Benefit Cuts

Andrew Biggs knows small incremental increases in SS withholding would resolve any shortfall. The plan presented by Dale Coberly is such and it was agreed up by the Social Security administration as workable. This has been a long running back and forth with Andrew Biggs whose only plan is cuts in Social Security and its […]

Cost Plus Drugs has added 5 new products

I get quite a few commentaries on healthcare and also announcements. I thought I would follow Mark Cuban’s Cost Plus Drugs site for a while. I can vouch for the lower cost drugs I use are close to what Mark’s business is citing. If anyone see one of these drugs is of a lesser cost, […]

NDd’s long leading forecast for 2024

The long leading forecast for 2024 at Seeking Alpha  – by New Deal democrat A couple of times a year I update my long leading forecast. With the latest GDP and Senior Loan Officer Survey data, there is enough to take a look at what the next 12 months probably have in store. This article is up […]

‘Hell No’: Trump Allies’ Plan to Privatize Medicare Draws Alarm and Outrage

It never ends as commercial interests keep trying to horn in on healthcare for the old geezers like myself. Except, it is not person related healthcare. It is related to the size of your wallet. More on Medicare Advantage by Jake Johnson at Common Dreams. ~~~~~~~~ A right-wing coalition’s proposal to make Medicare Advantage the […]

Eleven* Years of #ACA Medicaid Expansion in One Image

Eleven* Years of #ACA Medicaid Expansion in One Image, ACA Signups, Charles Gaba I just posted a colorful graph which tracked ACA Qualified Health Plan (QHP) enrollment over eleven years of Open Enrollment Periods. Below I’ve done the same thing for ACA Medicaid Expansion. The data comes from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services quarterly Medicaid […]

January 2024 consumer inflation: still a tug of war between gas and housing

January 2024 consumer inflation: still a tug of war between gas and housing  – by New Deal democrat As it has been for going on two years, consumer inflation has boiled down to a contest of strength between energy (mainly gasoline), which peaked in June 2022 and roughed in June 2023, and housing, which peaked […]